Box



y 30, 1940- .1. BERNIS 2.209593 BOX Filed Jan. 19, 1958 Patented July30, 1940 Julius Bernis, Malden, Mass.,. a

ssi'gnor v of onehalfto Joseph S. Buthian, Mass Application January 19,1938, Serial No. 185,732

1 Claim.

My invention relates to knock-down hat boxes or other containers and ithas for its object to provide an improved box of that type whichconsists of a single piece or blank of paperboard or the like that isformed with fold-defining score lines and with interlocking flaps bywhich the folded blank is held in the form of a box without the use ofadhesive or other fastening means.

To this end I have provided a hat box or the like of the class referredto which, in its best form, may be constructed as set forth in thefollowing description, the novel features of the invention beingparticularly pointed out and defined in the claim at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which my improved box is made.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the box partly made.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the box completed.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing one method of interlockingthe handle flaps, hereinafter referred to.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View showing another method ofinterlocking the handle flaps.

The blank shown in Fig. 1 is made from paperboard or the like andcomprises an elongate body portion consisting of a straight row of fourrectangular side wall sections or panels I, 2, 3 and 4, and an end flapsection 5. The body portion is formed with relatively paralleltransverse folddefining score lines 6 and with relatively parallellongitudinal fold-defining score lines 611.

Along one side thereof the body portion of the blank is made with fourtop wall tang flaps I, 8, 9 and I0, one on each side wall section, andalong the opposite side thereof the body portion of the blank is madewith four rectangular, or approximately rectangular, bottom wall flaps II, I2, I3

and I4, one on each side wall section.

The end flap section 5 of the body portion of the blank is slitted as atI5 and shaped to provide a hook I8 adapted to be inserted in a slit ITformed in side wall section I thereby to interlock the opposite ends ofthe body portion of the blank as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The tang flap 1 tapers toward its free end and is formed at its outerend with a hook I8 adapted to be inserted in a slit I9 formed in theflap 9 of side wall section 3 as shown in Fig. 2, said flap 9 alsotapering toward its free end as shown.

The tang flap I0 tapers toward its free end and at its outer extremityis formed with a hook 20 adapted to occupy either 'of two slits 2| and22 formed transversely in tang flap 8 of wall section 2 as-shown inFigs. 3, 4 and 5, thereby to interlock the ends of said two tang flaps.

The two flaps I and 9 are made tapering as shown so that while they arebeing interlocked 5 the fingers of one hand may be inserted into the boxto hold and support the tang flap 9 while threading the hook IB throughthe slit I9, as will be clear from Fig. 2. On the other hand the tangflaps 3 and I0 are made tapering as shown 10 and described so that wheninterlocked with hook 20 occupying slit 22 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,said two interlocked tangs will provide a conveniently narrow upwardlyarched handle by means of which the box can be carried. 15

When the hook 20 of tang flap I0 occupies the inner slit 2| of tang flap8 as shown in Fig. 5 the two flaps, together with the interlocked flapsI and 9 provide the box with a flat top wall and this adjustment of theparts is resorted to when the 20 box is to be shipped or wrapped up.

The bottom wall flap I3 is made at its outer end with an extension 26formed with two hooks 21 adapted to occupy slits 28 formed in side wallsection I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A fold-de- 25 fining score line 6bpermits the extension 26 to be folded into a position at'right angleswith relation to bottom flap I3. Q

The operation of forming the box from the blank of Fig. l is asfollows:"I'he body portion 3 of the blank is bent sharply on the scorelines 6 so as to bring the opposite ends thereof together with the flap5 overlying the section I. Then, after inserting hook I6 of flap 5 inslit I! of body section I the two bottom flaps I2 and I4 are fold-, 5 edinwardly on score line So, one on top of the other, after which theflaps II and I3 are folded inwardly on score line 6a in the order namedand locked by insertion of the hooks 27 in the slits 28. Then the tangflaps 9 and I are folded inwardly 40 on the upper score line 6a in theorder named and interlocked by insertion of hook I 8 in slit I9, afterwhich the tang flaps 8 and ID are folded or bent inwardly on said upperscore line in the order named and interlocked by insertion of hook 20 in4 slit 22 when a handle is desired or in slit 2I when a fiat top wall isdesired.

Adjacent to each hook I6, I8 and 20 the blank I is preferably formedwith a relatively small tab 25 which may be bent outwardly and grippedby 5 the fingers of the hand that is employed to thread the hook intoand out of its slit. Each tab 25 is disposed back of its hooksufliciently to avoid in-' terference with the edge of the slit.

The above described box or carton is of simple 55 and inexpensiveconstruction and the only means required for holding the blank in itsbox-like form are five simple hooks which are operated alike.

What I claim is:

A rectangular box made from sheet material and comprising a bottom walland four vertical side walls each made at its top with a flap and saidflaps jointly providinga complete top 010- sure for the box when theyjare all folded inwardly so that they are disposed in superposed fiatwiserelationship, means for separably fastening together the extremities ofone pair of oppositely disposed flaps to hold the same fiatwise togetherand means for separably fastening together the extremities of the otherpair of oppositely disposed flaps outside or said first mentioned pair,said last mentioned fastening means comprising a hook adjacent to thefree end of one of the flaps of said other pair and two paralleltransverse slits formed in the other flap of said other pair adjacent tothe free end thereof with one of which slits said hook is engageable tofasten said other pair of flaps together in upwardly arched condition toserve as a handle and with the other of which slits said hook isengageable to fasten said flaps together fiatwise to provide saidcomplete closure, and said other pair of flaps being made taperingtoward their free ends so that they can be surrounded by the fingers ofa hand while connected to form a handle.

JULIUS BERNIS.

